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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30105141">The Old General</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetorontokid/pseuds/thetorontokid'>thetorontokid</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Commander &amp; The General [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Bit of Fluff, Angst, Ben Kenobi - Freeform, Bittersweet Ending, Commander Cody Week (Star Wars), Gen, Purge Trooper CC-2224 | Cody, canon compliant as canon stands right now, original characters used sparingly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:36:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30105141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetorontokid/pseuds/thetorontokid</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the fall of the Republic, Commander Cody is doomed to a life as one of Darth Vader's purge troopers, until an old Jedi Master offers help...and a path to another Jedi Master and forgiveness.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>CC-2224 | Cody &amp; Obi-Wan Kenobi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Commander &amp; The General [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2215194</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I started writing this in January 2020 before the world went to shit then sort of gave up. Then somehow, this week, I sat down and started working on it again and finally finished it.  And for Commander Cody week, too, no less. T___T  </p>
<p>I tagged as "canon compliant" because it doesn't attempt to change what we know in current canon - that's my framework. I'm sure canon will come along and change this later, so until then...this is my take on things.</p>
<p>Also, this is part of a series, but you don't need to read the first part for this one. I just liked the idea of this Cody and this Obi-Wan existing in the same storyline. This is their open and close.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>CC-2224 sat on the edge of the hard, unforgiving bunk staring at the single, misplaced fleck of dark paint on the light grey wall. Over the last several months, it had become something of a focal point whenever he tried to calm himself. He would slow his breathing, unclench his jaw and muscles, and imagine himself...anywhere but there. It was impossible this time though—he was angry, frustrated, muddled...and exhausted. He had removed his black plastoid armor and sat now only in his sweat-soaked blacks. The recycled air of the cabin sent a chill through his body. His head continued to throb mercilessly. </p>
<p>He scrubbed a hand down his face and exhaled, sitting back to lean against the wall. </p>
<p>
  <i>He kept his blaster rifle level with the boy's forehead. Large, bright eyes pleaded with him. He had to hand it to the kid, he at least didn't try to 'Jedi mind trick' his way out of the situation. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>But he was a kriffing kid. Probably still even a padawan. Maybe slightly younger than Commander Tano would be...that is, if she had still been around. But she and the Jedi...they were mostly all gone now. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>He hesitated, shaking finger on the trigger, but then suddenly doubled over in agony. The kid, seeing his out, Force-pushed him down a set of stairs, his eyes wide and terrified, as if he didn't remember or was scared of his own power.  </i>
</p>
<p>A mission failed was a mission failed. </p>
<p>And so, despite once being a marshal commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, where he only took orders from a few—now he took them from a line of stuttering incompetents. He was no-one. </p>
<p>Because he had failed on Utapau, too. His men in the 212th never produced a body, therefore, according to the Emperor, the <i>Jedi traitor</i> was alive and was public enemy number one. He did admit that could be true, but there was no way someone could have survived that fall—not even a Jedi. Not even one such as <i>him</i>.  </p>
<p>But that’s what he told himself that at night when sleep eluded him. He told himself that as he went through Imperial reconditioning. And he told himself that while he was being tortured and questioned by the Emperor's right-hand man. He needed to truly believe it so Darth Vader would, too. </p>
<p>They didn't say it outright, but he was sure his previous connection to the Jedi High General, was the reason he'd been placed on Vader's death squad of purge troopers. He personally knew how wily and dangerous the <i>Jedi traitor</i> was and CC-2224 could lure him in using the traitor’s trusting and pathetic forgiving nature.</p>
<p>In the years that passed since the fall of the Republic, everything he knew was gone. His name, his white and gold armor, his <i>brothers</i>...They were all re-assigned to some of the more dangerous missions, killed, or just shunted to the side in general. He learned quickly not to ask questions to survive—he was a good soldier.</p>
<p>He looked down at his bruised and cut knuckles. The Empire didn't really believe in wasting bacta on the likes of him. He would have refused it anyway if it had been offered, just to feel something. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>A new mission came in and it was more than that—it was another chance. CC-2224 knew he was already living on borrowed time. </p>
<p>Tracking down and taking care of former Jedi Master Quinlan Vos would be a feat worthy of promotion. When his name came up as the next potential target, it was personal—Cody <i>wanted it</i>. Vos would pay for killing his men aboard the <i>Vigilance</i>, and would pay for the broken leg he had received at the hands of Dooku.  </p>
<p>He would actually look forward to this.</p>
<p>Though it had been years, it had remained an old ache physically and mentally. He would never forget the sensation of being tossed by Dooku like he was nothing, his dead brothers surrounding him on all sides.  </p>
<p>It was really no surprise at all that the obnoxious and persistent Jedi had survived the purge, but CC-2224 would take care of that. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Boz Pity was actually a stroke of genius. It had been Vos’ last-known location at the end of the war—why would he remain there and who would look on this graveyard of a planet? CC-2224 didn’t know what sort of setup could possibly be here because who or what could survive? <i>Who would want to?</i>  But none of that mattered, <i>someone important</i> had managed it.</p>
<p>Going on surprisingly basic information, CC-2224 put his ship down on the outskirts of some kind of small village—if one could even call it that. He strode down the ramp, helmet under his arm, all the necessary weapons and means of communication at his sides. As soon as his feet hit the damp ground, his vision whited out and he doubled over once again in agony. </p>
<p>“No, no, no, no…” He dropped his helmet and pressed the heel of his palm into his right eye, falling to his knees. It felt like every vessel in his brain was pinched, ready to explode.</p>
<p>He stiffened when he felt the sharp, cold steel of a knife press against the pulse point in his neck. “I’d say you’re looking good, commander, but we both know that’s not the case.” The voice was low and rough next to his ear. The nonchalant attitude in his voice was still there. </p>
<p>He knew he should have been more careful, but he had clearly forgotten how good of a tracker Vos was. It was no surprise really that he would be able to sneak up on him. “So, what the hell are you doing on this rock, <i>commander</i>?” Vos asked with a sneer as he grabbed the blaster from CC-2224’s side and used the Force to fling it far away from them both. He should have seen that coming, too.</p>
<p>“Well first of all, you can stop calling me that,” he finally replied, barely keeping his voice even. “Second of all, why <i>do you</i> think I’m here? I thought you were slightly smarter than that.”</p>
<p>Vos barked out a laugh and slapped him on the shoulder, “You really were Kenobi’s commander.”</p>
<p>CC-2224 froze. Vos circled him like a predator. He had no weapon, but he didn’t need one—not really. “Oh, you don’t know, do you?” The question was asked with something like derision. </p>
<p>His eyes tracked Vos as he continued to stalk. There was a definite smirk on his face—he knew something CC-2224 didn’t and it was something <i>big</i>.</p>
<p>“He’s alive, commander,” Vos stopped pacing and folded his arms over his chest.</p>
<p>A white starburst exploded in Cody’s vision and he fell forward, retching. He wasn’t aware Vos had even moved until he felt the slightest pressure between his shoulder blades, warm and solid. He realized the Jedi was pressing his hand there. It had been so long since CC-2224 had been touched with any kind of compassion it felt...wrong. </p>
<p>He wiped his sleeve across his mouth and looked up to find Vos’ strangely-colored eyes staring back at him. There was no hate at all there, only compassion and concern. He also hadn’t seen that in another’s eyes in quite some time either. </p>
<p>CC-2224 finally choked out a single word, “...alive?” It felt raw in his throat. It was the confirmation he had been waiting years for. The <i>Jedi Traitor</i> was alive.  </p>
<p>“You failed, commander!” Vos said standing again. “And thank the Force that you did because I could never forgive you if you had killed him. In fact, I’m not sure I even want to forgive you for trying.”</p>
<p>CC-2224 felt numb, blank, and ill. His vision was slowly returning to normal, but his head was throbbing. He reached up and grabbed the right side of his head. </p>
<p>“Ah, you still have the chip, don’t you?” Vos knelt in front of him, arms extended but then he immediately pulled them back. CC-2224 looked up at him questioningly. “You know about the chip, don’t you? <i>Kriff</i>...Cody, do you know anything??” <i>Cody</i> was a name CC-2224 hadn’t heard in an even longer time than <i>Kenobi</i>. He didn’t use that name anymore—he didn’t deserve it—no one did.  </p>
<p>Vos huffed a small laugh. CC-2224 didn’t think any of this was funny, but Vos always did seem strange. The Jedi sat down in front of him with his legs crossed. He was here to kill Vos, why was he being so easy with him? Why wasn’t Vos trying to kill him himself?? </p>
<p>“I don’t have the means to remove it for you, Cody, old boy,” Vos finally said. “Our surgeon medic is out on a mission and I can’t recall her right now. But if you do indeed still have the chip, you need to have it removed. It’s what we did for your brothers after they tried to kill <i>me</i>.”</p>
<p><i>Brothers??</i> CC-2224 was reeling. This was too much information. Vos seemed to pick up on his confusion right away. “Oh yes, I have some of your brothers here with me. Blades, Hook, Clutch, and Dice…” He looked up again into Vos’ eyes, looking for something, anything that told him the Jedi was lying, that this was some elaborate trap to ensnare him, perhaps he and the <i>Jedi traitor</i> had worked in tandem...  </p>
<p>“I’m not lying to you, Cody.” He had forgotten how good the Jedi were at seeming to read others’ minds. He had figured out long ago that they couldn’t actually do it, but sometimes...it could have fooled him. “I’ll take you back to camp and explain everything.” </p>
<p>“I’m not-- I’m not Cody, I’m CC-2224,” he groaned as they stood at the same time. Vos reached out to steady him when he wobbled. “<i>Why are you not killing me where I stand?</i>”  </p>
<p>Vos just shook his head, “So you could never see your general again? Cody, what do you take me for?” Jedi Master Quinlan Vos kept finding new and devastating ways to throw him for a loop. His world was spinning out of control. Vos pulled a pair of binders off a loop on his belt, “But you’ll understand why I need to do this, won’t you, commander?” He pulled CC-2224’s arms in front of him and clamped the binders around his wrists. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but you know, I don’t trust you, and so...I apologize for this.” That was the last thing he remembered before Vos put two fingers to his temple and uttered the single word <i>sleep</i>. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>When he came to, he was lying on a cot inside a small GAR-issued tent, and it looked like it had seen better days despite having apparently survived the clone war. It was patched in several places and tattered and fraying in others. There was a single small table next to the cot on which sat his black helmet. There was nothing else of significance in the tent—probably for a quick escape or move. His blaster and all other weapons were gone, as were the binders. He wasn’t surprised really, but was thankful his hands and arms were free.</p>
<p>He sat up gingerly feeling the slightest throb in his head. His headache hadn’t gone away completely, but the dull ache was more bearable at least. A <i>chip</i>. In his kriffing head. He swung his feet over the side and sat up. He straightened when he suddenly heard low voices outside. Not just any low voices, but ones that sounded like his own...voices he’d recognize anywhere. </p>
<p>He stood quickly, too quickly, and stumbled out of the tent. Dice and Hook were standing there with Vos and a Togruta CC-2224 didn’t recognize. They all turned in his direction.</p>
<p>“Commander,” Dice’s voice cracked. He strode over to crush him in a hug. “<i>You’re alive</i>.”</p>
<p>Once again he felt overwhelmed by these small acts of kindness and yes, love. He didn’t deserve any of this. He hadn’t seen a brother in years and it made him long for others, too, like Rex, Boil...Wolffe. He had always hoped they were okay, but never really believed it. It was easier to carry on by assuming they were dead—for their own sake. </p>
<p>Hook came over, too, and hugged him. “I nearly fell over when I saw who Quinlan was hauling in.” CC-2224 looked at the faces of his two brothers and tried to memorize every line, spot, and scar. They both even had freckles now that popped against their dark skin. </p>
<p>Vos gestured to the female Togruta to his right, “By the way, our medic has returned. This is Azarna My,” he grinned. “Come sit down and let’s talk.” He waved them over to the fire and they all sat in a circle, CC-2224 flanked by Hook and Dice on both sides. </p>
<p>The five of them talked well into the night, catching up on what they had all been doing, what they had been up to in the Rebellion. Cody was soaking up every detail, but CC-2224 felt he should be keeping track for later. By the time the sky began to fade into morning, he had nearly every single answer he could possibly want about the inhibitor chip in his brain and was ready to get it out. </p>
<p>“Our medic station isn’t what you’re used to, I’m sure,” Azarna said. “But it’s the best we can do in the circumstances, and it’ll get the job done.”</p>
<p>“Then let’s do it,” CC-2224 nodded firmly as he followed Azarna and Vos to their medical tent.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>He had shucked off all his armor and his blacks and found himself suddenly grateful for the cool air against all his exposed flesh, despite the removal that was looming. They had given him a medical tunic, so he put it on then laid down on the table. His body ached with exhaustion and lack of sleep. He closed his eyes when he suddenly felt a presence hovering. He opened them to find the grinning idiot, Vos leaning over him, razor in hand. “You do realize we’re going to have to shave your head for this?”</p>
<p>CC-2224 narrowed his eyes, “And you’re all too happy to do it, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Well, yes,” Vos laughed.  </p>
<p>“There’s something wrong with you, you know that?” He closed his eyes again as Vos laughed. </p>
<p>He felt a soothing hand come to rest on his left shoulder while Vos shaved a bald patch into his hair. “It’ll grow back...quickly, too I’m sure,” Azarna said.  He didn’t have to open his eyes to know she was smiling. </p>
<p>Before he knew it, he was under and out as if the surgery had never happened, back inside the tent he woke up in only hours before. Hook was sitting in a chair in the opening of the tent, datapad in hand. Cody coughed which caused Hook to turn around, “Ah, commander! You’re awake.” </p>
<p>“Seems that way,” Cody sat up once again slowly and carefully swung his legs over the side of the cot.  He gingerly poked at the patch covering the new scar on his head. It didn’t hurt. And there wasn’t a trace of the throbbing in his head. He suddenly remembered how much he had been looking forward to <i>killing</i> Vos only a day ago. But now? The Jedi had saved him. Him <i>and</i> his brothers.</p>
<p>Hook came over and stood in front of Cody with a smile, “You’re a whole new Cody.” </p>
<p>The words were overwhelming.  It wasn’t a reaction he was expecting to hearing his name once again, coming out of a face that looked exactly like his. He looked up to find Hook holding a tissue out. Cody didn’t even realize he had started crying. </p>
<p>Just then Vos stepped in the tent, “Good to see you up, commander.” He walked over and stood next to the cot and laid and large, warm hand on his shoulder. “I suppose you’ll need to be getting back... I can’t imagine the Empire’s tether on one of their <i>purge troopers</i> is too short.”  He raised an eyebrow at Cody.</p>
<p>“Ah, no, I’m probably as good as dead.” Cody looked down and pushed himself up off the cot. Hook and Vos both wrapped an arm quickly under his elbows to steady him. </p>
<p>“Give it up, commander,” Hook jumped in. “You can’t go back. Even if having an agent on the inside is incredibly alluring...” He exchanged a look with Vos. </p>
<p>Vos shook his head, “No, I couldn’t do that to this old man. Even if you and your ilk have been an incredible pain in my ass for the last five years.”</p>
<p>Cody huffed a small laugh, “It takes one to know one, Vos.” </p>
<p>Vos’ whole face split into a grin as he clapped Cody on the shoulder, “Let’s go, smartass.”</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Cody dressed back in his armor and blacks and hovered oddly around their camp. He both wanted to get off this planet and wanted to stay forever—but he knew he couldn’t. So he said his goodbyes and thanks to Hook, Dice and Azarna, then Vos walked the distance with him back to his ship. As they approached, Cody became very fidgety. He finally turned to Vos, “You know, you said you couldn’t forgive me if I had managed to kill...Ob-- <i>my general </i>-- but I wondered if you would ever look for forgiveness for killing <i>my</i> men aboard the <i>Vigilance</i>.”</p>
<p>Vos stopped in his tracks, “Ah.” He swung his arms out and brought them back to his side with a smack. “I don’t deserve forgiveness of any kind for that. It was a dark time that I usually prefer not to dwell on, but I do anyway—<i>constantly</i>. It changed me, and maybe...<i>I hope</i>...helped make me better, but I’m not a good judge of that.”</p>
<p>Cody watched Vos struggle through every word he said. It was so unlike the usually voluble Jedi Master.  “You’re right, you don’t deserve it,” he replied. “BUT...after I saw what you did for my brothers, removing their chips to keep them safe then watching over them, I guess I can finally, maybe, offer you some small forgiveness.”</p>
<p>Vos surged forward and wrapped Cody in a hug then backed away as quickly. “I know I don’t deserve it, but, well, thank you, commander.”</p>
<p>Cody started up the ramp to his ship and turned to Vos one more time before getting in, “Thank you, Quinlan...for giving me a second chance.”</p>
<p>Vos nodded silently, but before Cody could disappear inside completely, he yelled one single parting word ...<i>Tatooine</i>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Cody meets up with his old general on Tatooine.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After several hours of flying, Cody was relieved to see the nondescript swirling mass of tan and rust. From space, it was already one of the ugliest planets he’d seen, second only to Geonosis—he couldn’t imagine being on the ground was that much different. </p>
<p>He hadn’t been exactly sure why Vos sent him here, since he literally only gave him the planet’s name—he couldn’t even get a sense or feeling of <i>good <b>or</b> bad</i>. He knew he should have returned to the Empire—they would probably be looking for him now—but really he hoped they would assume he had been captured or killed and just not worry about him any longer. </p>
<p>Then a long-buried memory came, unbidden, "<i>Come on, when have I ever let you down?</i>"</p>
<p>Cody blinked and shook his head. He didn’t know what was waiting for him here. He didn’t think Vos would be sending him into a trap, but Vos was still a Jedi...in hiding.  Hiding because of what the clones and the Empire did to them. He knew now that he and his brothers had had no choice, but it didn’t mean that it still didn’t happen. </p>
<p>He pulled into the atmosphere and sighed. Vos could have at least given him a city name...not the <i>whole kriffing planet</i>.  The ship’s navigational computer told him that the starport Mos Eisley was first on the horizon, so he decided to set the fighter down a few klicks outside town and walk in. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Vos had initially offered Cody some old clothes of his—shirt, pants, boots, and he had wanted to shuck off his trooper armor, but Hook had insisted it was probably best for him to still appear loyal to the Empire by remaining dressed as a purge trooper. And honestly, after stepping into the midday twin suns, he was grateful for such foresight as his blacks had a built-in cooling system which he desperately needed right now. The heat was unrelenting and he could feel sweat rolling down his forehead underneath his helmet. </p>
<p>Mos Eisley was an unattractive desert town full of all sorts of different races and creatures. There wasn’t a very heavy Imperial presence, but he did run across a few stormtroopers here and there as he made his way through town, holding his blaster in his hands—always at the ready. They all nodded in recognition of him, but he ignored them, like he usually would. He had heard Tatooine was still controlled by the Hutts, but he wondered how much longer that would last.</p>
<p>He finally came to what seemed to be the busier part of town. The streets were fuller, and individuals moved in and out of the buildings and stalls in search of who-knows-what. Cody still didn’t know what he was looking for—if anything, maybe Vos was playing an elaborate prank or setting him up for something else—but all he could do was hope that he’d recognize it when he found it. </p>
<p>He walked a bit further until he came upon what seemed to be some sort of cantina—a drink sounded nice, and what could it hurt?  He was still a little over six meters away when he stopped dead in his tracks. A man in a dark brown cloak was dismounting a tired-looking eopie in front of the cantina, and something felt...<i>off</i>. Cody watched as he tied the reins to the hitching post outside but then quickly spun around and searched the crowd. Cody quickly hid behind the nearest stall but leant out far enough to keep an eye on the person in the cloak. They were clearly searching for someone. </p>
<p>He couldn’t see his face, hidden as it was behind the hood, but he finally managed to catch a glimpse of a sandy-ginger beard. Cody screwed his eyes shut tight and slammed his back against the building wall. </p>
<p>
  <i>A ginger beard. Kind blue eyes. </i>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good soldiers follow orders.</b>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Thank you, Cody.”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <b>Good soldiers follow orders. </b>
</p>
<p>A varactyl and her rider on the side of a cliff. </p>
<p><i><b>Blast him! </b></i><b> Good soldiers follow orders.</b> </p>
<p>His eyes snapped open. His heart was beating wildly out of control.  He scanned the crowd quickly—the eopie was still there but the cloaked man was gone. Cody gripped his blaster tightly. </p>
<p>He tore away from the stall and walked quickly down the street—away from the cantina, away from the eopie, <i>away from him</i>. He found an alley and ducked into it, hoping he could have a moment to  calm himself down. He thought of the fleck of pain on the grey wall of the star destroyer. He fell against the wall and slumped to the ground, ripping off his helmet because he felt hyperventilation coming on. He slammed his head against the wall twice and closed his eyes. He was taking a great risk sitting here, but he was paralyzed.</p>
<p>
  <i>Oh, by the way, I think you’ll be needing this…</i>
</p>
<p>General Kenobi. Obi-Wan. He was truly alive.</p>
<p>Cody knew that never finding the body meant that was a possibility, but he wasn’t prepared to face the reality of it. It was more than he could handle at this moment in his life. If he had found out 2 or 3 years ago, it would have meant nothing, in fact, Cody—no, CC-2224—would have been all too happy to kill him. Finding him now meant <i>everything</i>. </p>
<p>He wasn’t generally one for emotional outbursts or displays of any kind, but for the second time in as many days, he found himself crying. He shouldn’t have come to Tatooine—he should have stayed with Vos and his brothers, he should have used his ship to go...literally anywhere else. He scrubbed his gloved hand over his eyes. His head shot up when he heard a thud to his left and he whipped his head around just in time to watch a twirl of brown and tan land at the end of the alley. </p>
<p>“Cody?” Cody’s breath hitched—the soft Coruscanti accent was as recognizable to him as the voices of his brothers. </p>
<p>“So, you <i>are</i> alive," was the first and only thing Cody could think to say. Obi-Wan-- <i>General Kenobi</i> started towards him, and though Cody was sitting at the opening of the alley, HE was the one who felt trapped. “It seems I am, commander...no thanks to you.” He deserved that.</p>
<p>“Good soldiers follow orders,” Cody repeated hollowly. "You should know."</p>
<p>The general stopped in his tracks, “What?” Cody gripped his blaster once more. “Put the blaster down, commander.” </p>
<p>Cody looked at the Jedi, though he couldn’t see what he was hiding beneath his cloak, he had no doubt his lightsaber was there.</p>
<p>“Oh yes, I am armed,” he said as he touched an area of his back just at his waist. Cody tightened his grip on his blaster—what if he had been sent here instead of Boz Pity? Sent here first before he knew anything about the chip? Before he had a chance to understand and have it removed? Suddenly he wanted to laugh—at the Emperor, at Vader, at the snivelling commanders,  generals, admirals, at the nat borns who couldn’t hit the broad side of a cantina with their blasters. </p>
<p>Kenobi stood still, arms outstretched in a placating manner. Cody looked up at the face of his general. It was still mostly hidden in the shadow of the hood of his cloak, but he could see his beard, dark eyes, lined and tired. His lips were pressed into a line. “General?” </p>
<p>“Shhhh,” Kenobi said as he placed a single finger against his lips. He walked closer and towered directly over Cody, hands on his hips. Cody knew he was in a very vulnerable position now, despite the blaster in his lap. He also realized he couldn’t actually read his general anymore. Suddenly a tanned, calloused hand was held out in front of his face. Cody looked at the hand, then up to the face, then back to the hand. </p>
<p>“Well? Are you just going to sit here in the alley until the Empire finds you? Or are you going to come with me?” Cody was flabbergasted. The hand shook in front of his face, impatient. “Cody…”  Kenobi bent down and shoved his hands under both of Cody’s armpits to hoist him to his feet. He met very little resistance.</p>
<p>“Sir...”</p>
<p>Ben locked eyes with him. “No ‘sir,’ no ‘general’...just Ben.” Kenobi bent back down and picked up Cody’s helmet. He shook the sand out and dusted it off with deft fingers. </p>
<p>“Sir…” Cody started and Ben looked at him again.</p>
<p>“I told you...<i>Ben</i>. I command no one.” He handed Cody his helmet back. All his movements were slow, careful, hesitating—undoubtedly he was expecting Cody to try and kill him again. </p>
<p>Cody looked down, “Ben…” The name sounded odd on his tongue. “How do you know I'm not here to kill you?" He had to ask. </p>
<p>Kenobi eyed him cautiously. “Is that why you’re here?” They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. “Just for your information, the bounty on my head is higher if I’m alive.” He said it so matter-of-factly, Cody didn’t know how to take it. Kenobi passed him and leaned out of the alley to look around. He was searching the crowd, looking for something, anyone who could get two very high-profile Republic targets in trouble. </p>
<p>Kenobi came back and leaned in closely, “Listen, we cannot be seen together. I’ve tried to not look like a Jedi, but well...it’s hard when those are some of the only clothes I own.” This close to his general, Cody could finally see that <i>Ben</i> was not only still wearing his old brown robe, but his Jedi tunics as well; however, now they were all very worn and fraying. He still hadn’t seen Ben’s whole face, but he could see the once-tidy beard was a bit scraggly and unkempt. “If I was seen walking alongside a purge trooper, flags would be raised. I have to disappear but I will meet you out in the wastes.”</p>
<p>Cody blinked, “The wastes?” </p>
<p>Ben nodded, “You might want to put that helmet back on.” And Cody once again did as he was told. Ben quickly explained how to find his homestead and promised to meet Cody there. Even without the chip, Cody still fought the years of conditioning in his head. He couldn’t understand why his general was trusting him. Especially with the information on how to find him.</p>
<p>Cody didn’t know what Ben had been up to since the fall of the Republic, but he hoped it hadn’t made his general soft and too trusting. Not with the Empire still hunting the remaining Jedi across the galaxy. Not with people like Cody still around. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>It took an hour by foot, but eventually Cody reached the small hut at the edge of the Western Dune Sea. He took off his helmet as he got closer, wanting to see it all through his own eyes. It was a modest hut, nothing at all like the Jedi Temple Obi-Wan had spent his whole life in. Both of them were forced from everything and everyone they had ever known. That caused no small part of Cody’s heart to ache. </p>
<p>The eopie he had seen outside the cantina was there, drinking water from a small watering trough next to a fenced pen with two banthas and another, smaller eopie. </p>
<p>Ben startled him when he emerged from behind the side of the hut. Cody was taken aback by how little, but also by how much, his general had changed. Gone was the old tattered cloak and the outer tunic layer. He was dressed now only in a white under tunic, brown pants and what Cody was sure were his same old brown boots, though now they were as worn and tired as the man wearing them. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows exposing tanned and freckled forearms. Cody remembered Obi-Wan being paler, but he surmised that spending considerable time under these twin suns would, in fact, make him darker. </p>
<p>His hair, like his beard, was longer and more unkempt than Cody had ever seen it. The sandy-ginger locks nearly touched his shoulders now and there were more threads of white throughout, not just at his general’s temples. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't look away—it was like seeing a ghost. He was sure that if he blinked this would all disappear and he would be sitting on that cold bunk aboard the Imperial star destroyer. </p>
<p>“Cody,” he said softly. “You found it.”</p>
<p>Cody snapped out of his reverie and nodded, “It was right where you said it would be, sir.”</p>
<p>Ben chuckled lightly, then sighed and tilted his head, “Ben.” Cody nodded—he didn’t know if he could ever get used to that. “Well then, let’s go in, shall we?” Ben waved an arm to the front of the hut.  “We have some catching up to do.” Cody hesitantly walked in ahead of his general, expecting at any second to be run through with a blue plasma blade, but it never came. </p>
<p>He knew the hut was small, but he wasn’t prepared for the inside to feel so small. Of course, with it being only Ben here—at least, he <i>assumed</i>, only Ben lived here—maybe it was enough. Cody put his helmet and blaster down on the small table to the left of the front door. </p>
<p>“I know there aren’t many places to sit, but please make yourself comfortable wherever you’d like while I boil some water for tea.” Tea. Some things hadn’t changed. Cody suddenly thought of the day when they had met, when General Kenobi had invited him to his small quarters and told him to make himself comfortable while he made tea. He wanted to smile, surprised he even remembered, but he couldn’t. Getting comfortable inside the small hut of the man he almost killed was not something Cody was going to be able to do. Instead, he walked to the opening between the living area and the kitchen and watched. </p>
<p>Always able to sense his commander, Ben turned around slowly. Cody knew he probably expected to turn around and be staring down the barrel of a DC-15A blaster rifle. <i>CC-2224</i> would have thought the <i>Jedi Traitor </i>was stupid for turning his back on him. He could have put a blaster hole in his skull and left, finally a true hero to the Empire. But he was Cody once again. So Cody asked, “Why do you trust me?” </p>
<p>Ben set down two mugs on the counter and sighed. His general seemed to sigh a lot now. He also seemed more tired than he ever did during the clone war, which was impressive considering how little he slept then. “You feel...different...in the Force. Somehow.” <i>What did that mean?</i></p>
<p>“I feel a conflict in you, yes, but the larger, underlying current is my <i>Marshal Commander Cody</i>.” Ben’s face was placid, but his eyes betrayed the sadness. Cody’s heart stuttered in his chest. They just stood there staring at each other, both afraid to move, both afraid to say anything until the whistle of the kettle broke through the silence. </p>
<p>Ben broke away and finished making the tea as if nothing at all was wrong. As if he didn’t have someone in his home who had wanted to kill him, who <i>had tried </i>and nearly succeeded. Cody couldn’t decide if he was comforted by the fact that he was so at ease or if he was angry. </p>
<p>Ben handed Cody a cup of tea, and it was the same old jade cup from the set that once belonged to Qui-Gon—the same set <i>Obi-Wan</i> had used the day they met. Something tight twisted in his chest thinking that Ben had somehow managed to transport the set all the way to the Outer Rim. Ben put a gentle hand on his elbow and corralled him back into the living area. He gestured for Cody to sit at the small dining table while he took a seat on the edge of his small bed. “So, how did you find me in Mos Eisley? How did you know I was on Tatooine? I have been told that the Empire had no idea of my whereabouts. I had believed—I guess foolishly—that that was true."</p>
<p>Cody cleared his throat then took a sip of the tea.  It was warm and familiar and reminded him of many nights aboard <i>The Negotiator</i>, up late with the general trying to finish paperwork and create new battle plans and strategies. Ben was trying desperately to pull him through the fog of the inhibitor chip on memories alone. “I really stumbled upon you in Mos Eisley...I can’t explain it. I set my ship down outside town and just walked in.”</p>
<p>“And Tatooine?” Ben watched him carefully over the rim of his mug as he took a sip of his tea. He didn’t look entirely convinced. Cody noticed that the cup didn’t match his own, and he found himself idly wondering if the whole set had made it after all. </p>
<p>“Quinlan Vos,” he finally answered.</p>
<p>Ben’s eyes widened, “You...<i>you saw Vos</i>?” Cody heard the next unspoken question, <i>did you kill him?</i></p>
<p>“On Boz Pity,” Cody said simply. “He had <i>my brothers</i> with him, and they had all had their chips removed.” Ben nodded. He didn’t look surprised, he didn’t ask <i>what chips?</i> “You knew?”</p>
<p>Ben sat back and stroked his beard with his free hand—a gesture so achingly familiar that tightness was back in Cody's chest. He cleared his throat, "About two years ago, I heard about some research done in a facility on Alderaan. It corresponded with stories I had heard about Tup and Fives...right after... the stories that the Chancellor refuted so adamantly." A darkness seemed to pass over Ben's face. He stared at the floor for what seemed like an eternity. No one believed them. Cody didn't believe them. He should have. It topped his list of regrets. </p>
<p>"Ben…" Cody began not sure where he was going. He froze when those blue-gray eyes locked with his. What could he say that could ease any of the pain and grief Ben was undoubtedly still going through? Pain and grief at his own hands. At the hands of his brothers. "Ben, I'm so sorry."</p>
<p>Ben’s breath hitched and he shook his head. “There’s nothing to forgive, my friend. Nothing at all.”</p>
<p>Cody could feel the tears welling up once more, prickling at the back of his eyes. He took a sip of his very hot tea. It burned his tongue, but he didn’t care—he needed the distraction. </p>
<p>Ben cleared his throat and started again. “I can’t pretend that seeing you is...easy.” He paused again, not knowing where to go next. He closed his eyes and sat up, his back ramrod straight. </p>
<p>Cody used the time to really take in his old general. Previously he felt that Obi-Wan wasn’t changed much, but now he saw the wrinkles around his eyes, more prominent than they were before. The downturned corners of his mouth also put a few extra lines on his face. Then suddenly those steely eyes were on him again, boring into his very soul which was as dry as the cracked surface of this dusty planet. </p>
<p>“Why are you here?” He finally said. “If you didn’t come to kill me, or take me alive even...why are you here?”</p>
<p>Cody set his mug on the table, spread his hands out in front of him, and shrugged, “I...I’m not really sure.” <i>I had to see you. To hear you. To know you were still alive. </i></p>
<p>“I know you were never one for talking much,” Ben smiled to himself. “That’s what made us such a perfect pair. But you have to know I don’t believe you.” He looked at Cody so intensely, he had to look away quickly. </p>
<p>“Do you work with Vader? Well, I mean, of course you do...look at you.” Ben got up and began to pace around the small hut. “He sent you, didn’t he? He sent you himself. I knew it was only a matter of time...I was so sure about Tatooine. I have to get Luke--”</p>
<p>Cody could only watch as his general spiraled out of control. He paced faster and gestured wildly as he mumbled to himself, all the while tugging on his beard and running frantic hands through his hair. Cody’s heart clenched watching his general descend into some kind of madness that he didn’t understand. </p>
<p>He stood abruptly when Ben made another pass by and reached out to grab the older man’s forearm. The skin was cooler than he thought it would be, but it was a balm to his own hands which felt like they were on fire. Ben startled and pulled back, looking at Cody wild-eyed. He let go immediately and put his hands up, “Sorry...I’m sorry…”</p>
<p>Much to Cody’s surprise, Ben reached back and grabbed him by the bicep, “DID HE SEND YOU?”</p>
<p>Obi-Wan had never been thunderous, but always measured and calm. Thoughtful and discerning. This was not his general. He stuttered finally, “Did <i>who</i> send me, sir?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“VADER, of course,” Ben shook Cody lightly, the wild eyes returning. Cody put his hands up again which seemed to break whatever spell Ben was under. “I...I’m sorry, Cody. I didn’t mean...I’m so sorry…” </p>
<p>He walked away and back into the kitchen. Cody didn’t know what to do but sit down. He heard the tell-tale sounds of water running, albeit briefly. But then all was quiet. Then came sniffling, faint, but there. </p>
<p>Cody stared out the window. The day light was fading. The blue of the sky as slowly but surely being replaced with dusky pinks and light oranges. From his seat he could just make out the topmost crescent of the higher of the twin suns as it disappeared beyond the wall of the hut’s window. What was he doing here? Why did he listen to Vos? This could still have been a trap—Cody had no real idea. Ben was acting strangely and he didn’t know what to do. He turned when he finally heard Ben shuffle back in. His face was placid, his hair set aright. But the shadows under his eyes seemed to have deepened and his eyes were now also red-rimmed. </p>
<p>“Who’s Luke?” Cody said suddenly. Judging by the lack of reaction, Ben had been expecting that question. He was still good at schooling his expressions. Ben sat again on the edge of his small bed. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on his knees and let his head drop below his hunched shoulders, the sandy locks falling into his face. He looked so small, almost fragile. </p>
<p>“He’s…” Ben began but faltered. He looked up at Cody once more, “He’s the reason I’m here. I’m protecting him.” </p>
<p>Clearly his Jedi hadn’t gotten over being so karking mysterious, and if it was possible, he was even more so now. Cody sat back in his chair, waiting for Ben to speak again. </p>
<p>“You already know too much, and...this isn’t a risk I can take.”</p>
<p>“I know you don’t trust me, hell, <i>I don’t even trust myself</i>.” Cody wasn’t going to make any sudden movements. He wasn’t sure he quite trusted his general either, even though he hadn’t really given him a reason to NOT trust him yet. Cody brought a hand up to the right side of his head tentatively to feel the patch and his new bald spot. </p>
<p>Ben watched him curiously. “Does it hurt?”</p>
<p>Cody exhaled slowly, “Not anymore. I was getting massive headaches all the time, and the urge to...well, the urge to kill was persistent.”</p>
<p>“And now it’s just...gone?”</p>
<p>Cody nodded slowly. </p>
<p>“What <i>evil</i> was done to you and your brothers...” Ben stood up again to pace. He reminded Cody very much of some kind of caged animal, and it wasn’t exactly far from the truth. “Created to fight in a war you had no business being in, your will stripped from you from your very inception.”</p>
<p>“But without it, I wouldn’t be <i>ALIVE</i>. I wouldn’t have known my brothers, I wouldn’t have known you, sir...” Cody trailed off, looking anywhere but his general. He looked down at the dirt floor of the hut, focusing on a darker speck of dirt. “My feelings are mixed, as you can imagine.”</p>
<p>“Cody, you really must stop calling me sir. I will ignore you if you keep doing it.” Ben sat back down on the edge of his bed and looked at Cody with a teasing smile, and <i>damn-it-all</i> if he didn’t then sound and look like the General Kenobi Cody once knew. “Well, of course they are. Of course."</p>
<p>Ben stood again and Cody watched and listened as he shuffled back and forth between rooms. Sometimes he could make out a drawer or cabinet opening and closing. But he continued to drink his tea and hoped that his general would clue him into what he was doing in time. </p>
<p>Finally, Ben re-emerged with clothing in hand, “I doubt very much that you will want to wear your armor to bed, or even your blacks.” Cody was used to the blacks, but he nodded and took the pants and shirt from Ben. “The fresher is just on the other side of the kitchen if you’d like to get cleaned up. I’m sorry, I should have offered that a long time ago.”</p>
<p>“No need to apologize,” Cody stood up and left to go get changed. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Cody re-emerged several minutes later after changing and cleaning up as best he could. He didn’t imagine Ben had much water on this dustbowl of a planet, so he used it very sparingly. Ben was standing at the window in the living area, watching the setting suns, his arms crossed over his chest. He turned towards Cody when he walked back in the room and smiled gently. </p>
<p>“Please take my bed for the night...that is, if you wish,” Ben said as he gestured to the nook in the wall. It wasn’t large, but it was certainly much larger, and more comfortable looking, than the small bunks he had gotten used to over the last several years. </p>
<p>“Sir...<i>I mean, Ben</i>...I can’t take your bed,” Cody said as he placed his pile of armor on the table and folded his blacks carefully. </p>
<p>“I insist. I don’t sleep much anyway.” Cody frowned at the admission. “I don’t...I can’t always trust my unconscious connection to the Force. Not anymore.” He didn’t know exactly what that meant, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. If Ben had told him he couldn't sleep with Cody in the hut, he wouldn't have blamed him in the slightest. </p>
<p>His eyes tracked Ben as he walked to the bed and situated the pillows and blankets, then grabbed one for himself. Cody didn’t know where he intended to sleep, but he imagined if there was another room in the hut, then that’s where he’d go. </p>
<p>“I’m sure you are tired after your long journey—I don’t want to keep you awake any longer, so I’ll leave you to it then.” The two men stood in the middle of the room, the heavy silence enveloping them. Ben had desperately tried to make everything seem so <i>normal</i>, but it felt so weird to Cody. Here was the man he thought he had killed years ago—alive and whole, attempting some normalcy. None of it was anything like what Cody expected when Vos gave him the planet name. His whole world had been turned upside down in the matter of a couple of cycles. </p>
<p>Who was Luke? Why Tatooine? What did he do after Utapau? Were others still potentially alive? Did he know who Vader was? Why was he so convinced Vader was the one who sent him? </p>
<p>“Cody?” He looked over and found concern once again in a Jedi’s eyes. </p>
<p>“I guess...I’m really tired. The last couple of days have been overwhelming, to say the least,” Cody said gently touching the bandage on his head once more. </p>
<p>The corners of Ben’s eyes crinkled when he smiled kindly, “Undoubtedly, no one could blame you for wanting to sleep for at least a week.” Ben walked over and put his hand on his shoulder and gently directed him to the bed. He leaned over and pulled back the covers so Cody could get in. “Now come on, commander, it’s time to sleep.”</p>
<p>Cody was out almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Whatever fears and reservations he had about sleeping with Ben nearby...well, they had all flown out the window. All he knew was darkness and dreamless slumber.</p>
<p>#</p>
<p>Cody awoke the next morning, dawn’s early light barely illuminating the small sand-colored hut he was sleeping in. He blinked several times trying to recall where he was and why. He knew several things to be true: his head didn’t hurt at all, he hadn’t slept so well in years, and he had felt a calm he wasn’t sure he had <i>ever felt</i>. He reached up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, all of the memories and realizations coming back to him slowly. </p>
<p>He was on Tatooine. He had had the <i>behavior-modifying chip</i> removed from his brain. His general was alive, he hadn’t killed him. This was <i>his</i> home. He was sleeping in <i>his</i> bed. Cody pulled the blankets up around his face and inhaled—they smelled clean, and there were underlying scents of Ben’s tea, Ben’s soap, and just Ben. </p>
<p>Cody turned over, facing the open living area. There was no Ben, and it was quiet except for an almost-imperceptible low humming noise which Cody would know anywhere. He threw back the blankets and got out of bed, listening for the sound. There were only so many places anyone could go in this hut, so Cody didn’t have to go too far when he found another door and padded up to it to press his ear against it. That old familiar hum of Obi-Wan’s lightsaber. </p>
<p>He knew he probably should have left well enough alone, should have ignored it, gone back to bed and pretended to be asleep, but...he didn’t want to. He opened the door carefully onto a set of steps and what could only be a cellar. The hum of the lightsaber was louder and the underground room was dark except for a low lamp and the blue light from the plasma blade. </p>
<p>Feeling brave, he walked down a few steps and sat down carefully and slowly. He had seen Obi-Wan fight many, many times, slicing through battle droids with the same blade more times than he could count. But it had never been so hypnotic than it was now. </p>
<p>He seemed to be running through some kind of exercise forms—slowly and methodically. He recognized several of the stances he remembered Obi-Wan using previously, even if he didn’t know what they were called. Ben had not let himself fall out of practice out here in the desert, living as a hermit, and Cody wondered if in his “protection” of Luke if he had been forced to reveal himself and fight once more. How could a Jedi hide? </p>
<p>Suddenly the blue blade went off, and he and Ben were left in the dark. “Good morning, commander,” Ben said in the relative darkness, panting lightly. Cody had thought he had been quiet enough, but Ben had always had the ability to know when he was close by. </p>
<p>“Morning.”</p>
<p>Cody continued to watch him as he disappeared momentarily then came to stand at the bottom of the stairs. Once again it nearly took his breath away to see Ben again as he was. Ben wiped a towel across his face, neck and arms as he slowly ascended the stairs, never taking his eyes off Cody. The lightsaber was gone—Cody had no idea where Ben had left it, but he briefly wondered if he always locked it up now or otherwise kept it hidden. </p>
<p>“Did you sleep well?” Ben asked when he was several steps below where Cody still sat. Cody blinked. For some reason he felt frozen to the spot. He didn’t feel threatened, he just couldn’t move. He finally nodded when he realized he had never answered his general. “Would you care for something to eat? Or do you have to…”</p>
<p>Ben trailed off and Cody used the opportunity to stand once again and walk back up the stairs with Ben not far behind. </p>
<p>Back in the living area, he went back to the bed and sat on the edge, taking up the space Ben had sat in last night. In the morning light now flooding the room, Cody could see that Ben was dressed in a pair of baggy trousers, a tight, sleeveless undertunic, and was barefoot—it was the most relaxed he had ever seen his general. Ben wiped the towel over his arms once more then dropped it over the back of his chair. </p>
<p>“I don’t…” Ben started carefully and quietly. Cody could see he was wrestling with whatever he had been planning to say. “I don’t know what your plans are, or were rather...I can’t imagine the Empire would be willing to take you back. I don’t see Vader or the Emperor being too forgiving.”</p>
<p>Cody shook his head slowly. What were his plans? He still hoped the Empire would assume he was K.I.A. somewhere and they would just declare him dead. He found himself suddenly wanting desperately to stay right here on Tatooine, closeby. Obi-Wan had been his general, yes, but he had also been a friend, and that was something Cody also hadn’t had in years. </p>
<p>But he couldn’t. And they both knew it. </p>
<p>“I know someone...on Alderaan,” Ben sat down at his table and rested his elbows on his knees, watching Cody. “Someone I trust more than most—which is a rarity now.” <i>Alderaan?</i> “I contacted him last night, and I’m sorry to have done it without talking to you first, but I...I just wanted to see what advice he could give.” </p>
<p>Cody looked down at the floor. Why was he so dangerously close to being upset? He found Ben, he made sure he was alive—what else did he need to do? </p>
<p>“He is willing to help us-- help <i>you</i>. And with your background and experience, we both agreed that you could help the rebellion.” Ben hesitated. Was he signing Cody up to fight? He was over doing that. He couldn’t show up and face the Empire—the punishment for desertion was worse than death.</p>
<p>“Ben, I don’t know-- I didn’t want--” he sighed and sat back. It would be his best chance for survival and he <i>knew it</i> but…</p>
<p>“Cody, I’m not signing you up to fight. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Ben leaned back in his chair, mirroring his pose. “I’m just saying, my friend on Alderaan can help you go anywhere you want to—you can make your choice. For once in your life.”</p>
<p>And if <i>that</i> didn’t hit Cody like a ton of bricks. He could probably count on both hands the choices he had made for himself in his relatively short life—how to paint his armor, what he wanted to be called, how he would style his hair, what he could do with his free time (even though that had been all but taken away since the rise of the Empire). But this decision would be his biggest one yet, and the most important. </p>
<p>“Then I will go to your friend on Alderaan.” That choice felt right even though an almost-unbearable sadness sat on his chest. He knew he would never see Ben again—at least not in person. He looked up at the ceiling and blinked away more tears. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>After eating a small breakfast and changing back into his blacks, Cody and Ben sat around and talked for hours. Ben was gracious enough to answer almost every question Cody had except for one. </p>
<p>“I’ve already told you too much about why I’m here, I can’t tell you anymore. I can’t risk that knowledge falling into the hands of the Empire.”</p>
<p>Cody nodded. “I understand. I hope they know how lucky they are to have you.” Ben looked at him and gave him a half smile—that sadness had returned. </p>
<p>Their time was running out, and Cody never wanted it to end. He was about two seconds away from begging Ben to stay. But he didn’t. </p>
<p>They both jumped when there came several short knocks on the door. Cody leapt up immediately, his fight-or-flight response kicking in. Ben looked over at him, his mouth was hanging open in surprise, but then his features softened suddenly. </p>
<p>"Mr Ben!" Came a small voice of a child from the other side of the door followed by several more short raps. </p>
<p>Ben stood and made his way to the front, "Just… just hang out in the kitchen for a moment. Please?" Cody nodded.</p>
<p>He moved to the kitchen, trying to keep out of sight, but also curious about the child. He leaned forward slightly and peered around the entrance. A small boy who barely stood at thigh-level was babbling to a very attentive Ben. He had a mop of bright blonde hair and such bright blue eyes. He was very animated when he spoke and Ben paid such close attention, even though Cody himself could only understand about half of what he was saying. </p>
<p>Did Ben… Was this <i>his</i> child? That seemed so unlikely… but the eyes… he knew the eyes. He continued to watch as the little boy continued to ramble, and Ben finally knelt so he'd be on eye-level.  </p>
<p>Another revelation hit Cody—<i>Anakin</i>. Those were General Skywalker's eyes. Cody stumbled backwards into the kitchen, nearly falling over in the process. He winced at the noise he made, his cover was almost certainly blown. A small set of feet followed by 'Luke!' reached his ears before he recovered. </p>
<p>"Who are you??" The tiny Anakin stood in the doorway of the kitchen, hands on his hips, trying to look fierce. Cody wanted to laugh. </p>
<p>"I… I'm--"</p>
<p>Suddenly the boy was lifted off the floor and Ben settled him on his hip. "Luke, this is my good friend… Cody."</p>
<p>"You have friends?" Ben and Cody laughed at the innocence of it all. </p>
<p>"Sometimes," Ben finally responded, still chuckling. </p>
<p>Luke looked between the two of them, "Cody?" Cody nodded and Ben said yes. "Cody," Luke said once more and gave him a smile. Cody smiled back. It had been so long since a child had looked at him in any way but fear. <br/>Ben winked at Cody and bounced Luke once before turning away again, “Alright, young one, come along. It’s time to return home—you know you shouldn’t be out here…” Something twisted in Cody’s chest once more as Luke wrapped his small arms around Ben’s neck before he put him back down. Everything made sense now, and he knew why Ben couldn’t—<i>wouldn’t</i>—tell him. </p>
<p>He sat back down on the bed and waited for Ben’s return. </p>
<p>“You’ll probably be needing some different clothes for your travels,” Ben said as he walked back inside, dusting his hands off. “Can’t exactly show up on Alderaan dressed like…” He waved his hand in Cody’s general direction, and he chuckled.</p>
<p>He looked down at his blacks, hoping quite honestly that he could burn them and his armor—he never wanted to see any of it again. “No, I suppose not.”</p>
<p>“Well, I don’t have much, but you’re welcome to whatever you need.”</p>
<p>Ben really didn’t have much, but he still dug out a set of clothes for Cody and it fit well enough. He had jokingly told him he could burn his armor out back, too if he wanted, but Ben, always thinking ahead, suggested that he should take it—just in case. He knew he was right. </p>
<p>After eating a small midday meal, Cody knew it was time to leave. He had seen too much, knew too much, and in small ways, he could see Ben getting antsy. His presence wasn’t really helping either of them. Ben did, however, insist on travelling with him back to his ship, so he donned his cloak once more, untied his two eopies and they made their way slowly back to the outskirts of Mos Eisley where he had landed just the day before. </p>
<p>It wasn’t enough time. He never had enough time. </p>
<p>#</p>
<p>The ship sat completely undisturbed right where he had left it. He was a little bit surprised, a little bit relieved, but also disappointed—if it had been stolen or taken apart for parts...he could have stayed. A little longer at least. But he supposed fate was telling him he needed to go, too. It wasn’t safe for him, Ben or Luke. </p>
<p>They stopped a few meters short of the ship and dismounted the eopies. Cody lowered the ramp and found himself overwhelmed, emotional, and frozen to the spot. </p>
<p>“My friend on Alderaan is also aware you’ll need to ditch this ship,” Ben said, one hand on his hip, the other stroking his beard as he looked it over. Cody just found himself staring, memorizing everything he could, remembering everything from...<i>before</i>. “I’m only sorry I didn’t have enough credits to find something else for you so you could ditch it here.” </p>
<p>Cody waved his hand dismissively, a lump was forming in his throat. He startled when he felt a warm hand come to rest on his shoulder. Those bright, piercing blue eyes were on him once more. </p>
<p>“Cody, before you leave, I just wanted you to know…” Ben’s voice broke, and before he could continue, Cody pulled him into a crushing hug. </p>
<p>“I know,” he whispered into the crook of Ben’s neck. The truth is he wanted to hear it, and had more things he wanted to say, too, but they were stuck in his throat. He finally pulled away, his hands resting on Ben’s upper arms. “Please, take care of yourself...and Luke. I’m counting on him.” Ben smiled softly and nodded. </p>
<p>He cleared his throat, “We all are.” Ben pulled him in for one more hug then finally stepped away, letting him go. Cody nodded and headed towards the ramp, towards a new life—one that would be his own. He stopped and turned around once more when he heard his name called. “The Force will be with you...always.”</p>
<p>Cody gave the general a salute then hurried into the belly of the ship before Ben could see him cry once more. He dropped his armor onto the floor of the cockpit then slumped down into the pilot’s chair and started the engines, entering the coordinates for Alderaan. He dropped his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes as the ship whirred and came to life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Cody leaves Alderaan before the time frame of 'A New Hope,' probably to work with the Rebellion.  Perhaps he dies of "old age" perhaps he dies fighting, but either way, he will be able to make his own choice about his life's direction.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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